Former UFC heavyweight Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle (10-2) is probably better known for his ability at trash talking than he is at fighting.
MCorkle was released earlier this month from the top promotion following a second straight loss, a technical submission to Christian Morecraft at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle.
Now “Big Sexy” has hit the Underground Forums, once again, to talk about his time with the UFC, praising them for having some of the coolest people who work behind the scenes to make events happen.
McCorkle admits that the matchup with Morecraft was not the best for him but says that he asked UFC, matchmaker Joe Silva, not to match him against wrestlers to avoid boring fights. The heavyweight has plenty more to say, but you’ll have to hit the link above to read all of “Big Sexy’s” comments.
Anyway I wanted to finally take the time to address my being released from my contract with the UFC, and to answer some of the questions I keep getting asked.
A lot of people have asked me if I thought my release was “fair” considering the numerous other seemingly less popular fighters that have lost 2 or more in a row and not been cut. I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t surprised when I got the call. I thought I’d get at least one more fight primarily because of my ability to hype fights, my fan base, and the fact that I’m in arguably the thinnest weight division.
But to say I was treated unfairly would be ridiculous. During my time with the UFC I was paid approximately 1 1/2 times what they were contractually obligated to pay me. That’s without winning a Fight/KO/Submission of the night bonus in any of my fights. Where else can you work where they pay you 150% of your agreed salary for no reason other than to be generous? I can answer that for you: Nowhere.
From the drivers that pick you up at the airport, to the backstage crew, all the way up to Dana and Lorenzo, I did not meet one person who works for the UFC who wasn’t cool as fuck. They gave me damn near front row seats to 4 UFC events I attended, as well as giving me awesome seats for my friends and family at all 3 events I fought at. We stayed in the nicest hotels, and our per diem was more than you’d ever spend eating.
I’ve been asked if I think they pushed me too fast, or if I thought I was given a fair shake considering the fact that Mark Hunt, Struve, and Morecraft aren’t exactly an easy first 3 fights. What a lot of people don’t know is that I specifically asked to stay away from really good wrestlers. My thought being that my takedown defense isn’t spectacular, and I more than anything didn’t want to be involved in any boring fights. And I think a really good wrestler and myself make for a boring fight. So that being the case, it didn’t leave Joe Silva a lot of options. I believe 100% the UFC wanted me to win all 3 of my fights. I’m very marketable, I speak well on camera, and could be one of the biggest stars in the UFC if my fighting ability had been on par with my other intangibles.
I can’t help but wonder how differently everything could have been if I had been able to finish Struve with that kimura, just a minute into our fight. But that’s life. If I have any regret looking back, part of me wishes I hadn’t accepted the Morecraft fight. I felt he was a bad matchup for me, and the most underrated fighter in the heavyweight division. I think everyone will see that I’m right in his next few fights. I just didn’t want to cause any waves, and wasn’t really in the position to make demands.